History Main / BornAgainImmortality

* Ian Stevenson, Jim Tucker and others were able to link spontaneous "past life memories" of little children to real people who died, usually violently. The strongest cases even had birthmarks corresponding with a fatal wound verified by autopsy records. Some argue this is proof this trope applies to humans, although fraud, false memories, coincidences and other mundane explanations are [[OccamsRazor more plausible]].

* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'': In almost every season of Digimon, the titular creatures are reborn again after they are killed because their data is reconfigured and turned into a Digi-egg (whether or not they retain their memory depends on the season). However, some seasons have ways in which Digimon can be permanently killed.
** In ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', the evil Digimon do not seem to be reborn. Also, Wizardmon, who died in the real world, is not reborn, temporarily returning as a ghost.
** In ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', all Digimon deaths are final, whether or not their data is absorbed. The only exception is the first time Vajramon is destroyed, for reasons unknown. However, it is implied that their data, if not absorbed, can reincarnate into entirely new Digimon, as Lopmon says that Zhuqiaomon "created the Devas out of the data of Digimon who are now gone".

* ''LightNovel/SoImASpiderSoWhat'': When Kumoko has her body completely annihilated by Ariel's Abyss Magic, she stuffs her soul into one of her thousands of eggs, were she is reborn in a new body with all her prior abilities.

* ''ComicBook/HouseAndPowersOfX'' {{retcon}}ned that [[spoiler:Moira [=MacTaggart=], originally thought to be a normal human, is actually a mutant with this as her power. When killed she resurrects in a new timeline with all memory and knowledge from her previous lives. The downside is she only gets ten, maybe eleven, resurrections and if she were to be killed before her mutation activates during her teenage years then she'd die permanently]].

* Dracula in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series has this in addition to his continual resurrections. After being KilledOffForReal (supposedly) in the Battle of 1999 and his soul sealed away, he was reincarnated to live as a human again, until said human found out he was Dracula and [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow the Sorrow games happened]]. Interesting in this case because the reincarnation ''didn't'' happen immediately. Pieces of Drac's power were incarnated in Graham, Dmitrii and Dario, who were born at the time he was defeated, but the actual inheritor of his soul, [[spoiler: [[TomatoInTheMirror Soma Cruz]]]], was born about sixteen years later.

** In ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' (Digimon Savers in Japan), the human antagonist, Akihiro Kurata, invented a laser weapon that is powerful enough to kill Digimon and permanently delete their data in one strike. This weapon is primarily outfitted on an army of Artificial Digimon he created known as Gizumon.

* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'': In every season of Digimon, the titular creatures are reborn again after they are killed because their data is reconfigured and turned into a Digi-egg (whether or not they retain their memory depends on the season). However, some seasons have ways in which Digimon can be permanently killed.
** In ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', Digimon can absorb the data of other Digimon they kill. This not only prevents said Digimon from reincarnating, it also allows the absorber to gain more power and in some cases gain the abilities/techniques of the one they absorbed. Such as Beelzemon gaining Leomon's technique, "Fist of the Beast King".
** in ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' (Digimon Savers in Japan), the human antagonist, Akihiro Kurata, invented a laser weapon that is powerful enough to kill Digimon and permanently delete their data in one strike. This weapon is primarily outfitted on an army of Artificial Digimon he created known as Gizumon.

* Franchise/{{Digimon}}: In every season of Digimon, the titular creatures are reborn again after they are killed because their data is reconfigured and turned into a Digi-egg (whether or not they retain their memory depends on the season). However, some seasons have ways in which Digimon can be permanently killed.

* The Phoenix King Saffron from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''. Initially seen as a child, he undergoes a process that matures him to adult form within a day, and is then frozen solid and ''shattered'' in battle. He immediately regenerates as an egg and hatches again, but as a baby. It's implied that he can keep his memories, but he can also be raised differently to be a better person than his previous incarnation.
* When Demon King Piccolo is killed by Goku in ''Manga/DragonBall'', he creates an egg with his reincarnation, Piccolo Jr, who becomes the new, less evil, Piccolo for the rest of the ''Franchise/DragonBall'' franchise.

* ''ComicBook/CavallisticsInc'': Ravne and Jenny's baby was possibly conceived so that [[spoiler:Ethan Kostabi]] could be reborn in a new host body.

* [[Characters/MarvelComicsLoki Loki]] from ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' cannot ever die, thanks to this. Having made a deal to get his name removed from Hel's books, anytime he is killed, he will reincarnate. However, this does not mean he will retain his previous life's memories.
* ''ComicBook/HouseAndPowersOfX'' {{retcon}}ned that [[spoiler:Moira [=MacTaggart=], originally thought to be a normal human, is actually a mutant with this as her power. When killed she resurrects in a new timeline with all memory and knowledge from her previous lives. The downside is she only gets ten, maybe eleven, resurrections and if she were to be killed before her mutation activates during her teenage years then she'd die permanently]].

* This is a characteristic of Elora in ''Film/{{Willow}}'', necessitating [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim a more complicated process of disposal]].

* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'': Whenever Mothra is killed, she will ''always'' be reborn from an egg as soon as her power is needed to defend the world-sometimes, the very moment she dies.

* In ''Film/TheEroticRitesOfFrankenstein'', this is how the EvilSorcerer Cagliostro has achieved immortality. When he seemingly dies at the end of the film. Vera says that he will return in nine months.

* Combined with GroundhogDayLoop in ''Literature/{{Repeat}}''. Brad Cohen essentially "dies" on his fortieth birthday on every iteration of his life and is reborn as a fetus at the very start of his life in the 1970s. For good measure, it's implied that the cycle he leaves behind continues on without him, indicating that he might literally cease to exist in that version of reality.

* ''TabletopGame/Space1889'' in Canal Priest of Mars we learn that the Canal Keepers of Garyaan believe this is what happens to [[spoiler: Seldon, the person that united Mars a few millennia ago.]] The Game Master decides if this is true.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': This is the origin of the Emperor. Back before humans were civilised, there was a secret society of shamans who utilised this trope. When their numbers started dwindling, due to their souls being eaten by the newly formed [[EldritchAbomination Chaos gods]] before they had the chance to be reborn, they sacrificed themselves to give all their power to a single human who would be the [[TheAgeless regular kind of immortal]] instead. The Star Child cults of the Emperor believe that when the Golden Throne finally fails, the Emperor will be reborn this way, although so far this is in {{Retcon}} zone, as next codexes stated that Star Child were [[GodOFEvil Tzeentch]] cults. This didn't stop fans from speculating that they might be right, though.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Dungeons and Dragons}}'': The 'Clone' spell. It allows you create a clone of yourself as a young adult, after which your soul gets transferred into it upon death.

* In ''VideoGame/OracleOfTao'' this is Anideshi's InformedAttribute. She can't really use it in battle, though.

* [[spoiler:[[BiblicalBadGuy Cain, AKA Naoya]]]] in ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' has suffered of this for ''quite'' a while. [[WhoWantsToLiveForever This is not willing]]. [[BlessedWithSuck In the slightest]].
* The fae and arasai in ''VideoGame/EverQuestII.'' When they die, either of natural or unnatural causes, a spirit bud is created which regenerates the body until they are ready to be reborn. However, the spirit bud can be destroyed, which leads to the fae or arasai's permanent death.

* The seeress Paddra Nsu-Yeul in ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2 Final Fantasy XIII-2]]'' lives to be only about 17 before her visions kill her, and then she is reborn as an identical new infant of the Farseer tribe. This happens again and again throughout all of history. Yeul was the first human created by the goddess Etro, and she's still present in the post-apocalyptic world of 700 AF. Seeing so many Yeuls die young eventually drives her/their immortal guardian Caius insane, which is why he's the BigBad of the game. His goal is to cause a TimeCrash, so that there's no future for Yeul to see.

* In ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', reincarnation is the norm for souls after death, but remembering past lives is extremely uncommon and typically causes crippling mental instability. [[spoiler: Not so for Thaos, the BigBad, who remembers his past incarnations perfectly as soon as he hits adolescence, and who always retains the same physical appearance across incarnations]].
* In ''[[Videogame/DigitalDevilSaga Digital Devil Saga]]'', corpses in the Junkyard decompose into a clear, water-like liquid that trickles down through a series of tunnels that lead to the subterranean depths of the Karma Temple. The collected liquid gradually evaporates and ascends to the sky, where it then rains down to the land below. The final step of this cycle is not explained (except for in [[Literature/QuantumDevilSagaAvatarTuner the books]], where evaporation never happens and new human beings simply crawl forth from the depths of the Temple), though it's implied that the resulting puddles which grow large enough eventually solidify into human form. New humans seldom look the same as they did in their last life, nor do they retain memories.
** Digital Devil Saga 2 is told as [[spoiler: a flashback, recounted by a now grown-up Fred]] to [[spoiler: seven children who look almost identical to the deceased main cast and antagonist (right down to sharing their respective names). It is revealed at the end of the game (and series) that they are, in fact, the same people - in the "real world", souls are reincarnated when they choose to be, unless they attain enlightenment first (a feat only known to have been achieved by Seraph). Unlike in the Junkyard, it is implied that all humans look similar to that of their past lives. It is not known (though highly unlikely) that memories are retained.]]
--->[[spoiler: '''Fred:''' I pray that these children, who share their names with you, can find happiness.]]
* In the Grimm Troupe expansion of ''Videogame/HollowKnight'' it's implied that this is [[spoiler: the form of immortality of Troupe Master Grimm. However unlike most examples, both the child and adult forms exist at the same time, and the child, with the player's help, must kill the adult to complete the ritual and continue the cycle. Or as the Hunter's Journal more lyrically put it "Dance and die and live forever". The player may choose to participate or break the cycle and make Grimm DeaderThanDead. Both options are presented as [[GrayAndGrayMorality having pros and cons]].]]
* Linne from ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth'' was given this form of immortality by the Night Blade, crossed with BodySurf - upon death, her soul takes over the body of a newly-born child. Realised how many innocent lives she's basically destroyed without any control is a big part of why she's decided WhoWantsToLiveForever

* ''Webcomic/DragonSanctuary'': When a Draconian is killed, their body is cremated and an egg appears in the ashes. It hatches almost immediately, and though it doesn't retain anything of the previous Draconian other than their element, the newborn will often be integrated into the previous one's clan to give it a sense of family and stability.

* The Avatar Spirit, from ''[[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender The Last Airbender]]'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra The Legend of Korra]]''. The ancient spirits Raava and Vaatu battled but couldn't exist without each other, so if one is killed they re-form within the other over a very long period of time. At some point Raava bonded with a human and became known as the Avatar Spirit. Being partly based off of the above mentioned Dalai Lama, the Avatar Spirit itself will always be reborn in mortal form. The current incarnation technically has access to the power and wisdom of all of the previous incarnations, but learning how to access that can be difficult.
** Spirits in general are like this, according to ''ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheRift.'' They can assume physical bodies in the physical world which makes them mortal, sort of, but even then if they are killed they change forms. The Lady Tienhai fell in love with a human and changed so she could be with him, and upon dying became a flock of birds, still able to resume her old shape but apparently content to watch.

** In ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', Digimon can absorb the data of other Digimon they kill. This not only prevents said Digimon from reincarnating, but it also allows the absorber to gain more power and in some cases gain the abilities/techniques of the one they absorbed. Such as Beelzemon gaining Leomon's technique, "Fist of the Beast King".
** in ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' (Digimon Savers in Japan), the human antagonist, Akihiro Kurata, invented a laser weapon that is powerful enough to kill Digimon and simultaneously delete their data in one strike. This weapon is primarily outfitted on an army of Artificial Digimon he created known as Gizumon

* When Franchise/{{Digimon}} are killed in any continuity but ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', they merely turn into a Digi-egg and are reborn, though it varies if they remember their previous life or not. A plot point in ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' is the BigBad, Kurata, found a way to [[DeaderThanDead prevent them from coming back to life after death]].

* In ''Manga/ChainsawMan'', it's revealed that whenever a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Devil]] is killed on Earth they respawn in {{Hell}} with no memories of their previous life, and vice-versa.